Mechanical horse



J. L. siKoRA MECHANICAL HORSE Nov; 4 1924.

Filed Feb. 17

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Patented Nov. 4, i924.

rr stirs MECHANICAL HOB-SE.

Application filed February 17, 1.923. Serial No. 618,540.

To all LO/LON} may concern Be it known that I, Jot-IN L. Si'nonn, a citizen of Poland, residing at Waterford, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Mechanical Horses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to mechanical toys, having more particular reference to a toy representing an animal such as a horse, and capable of traveling along a floor or other surface in a manner similar to that of the living animal.

The invention has for a general object to provide a novel toy of this type, capable of progressing by movement of its legs.

F or further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in Which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Fig. l of the drawings is a side view of my improved toy.

Fig. 2 is a plan View showing the me.- chanical structure only.

Fig. is a side view thereof.

In Fig. l of the drawing the reference numeral 10 indicates a hollow body made of suitable material and preferably shaped in correspondence to that of a horse. This body is closed at the top and may be open at the bottom, or partially closed and provided with slotted openings through which the legs project downwardly from the interior of the body 10.

Rigidly secured in the body 10 is a longitudinal frame consisting of the side bars 11 and front and rear cross bars 12, this frame supporting an operating mechanism for the legs and head of the horse. This operating mechanism comprises a clock spring 14 secured at one end to a shaft 15 extending between the side bars midway between the ends of the latter and being suitably journaled at its ends in the said side bars. The other end of the spring 1t is here attached to one of the crossbars 12. Shaft 15 is operatively connected, by suitable clock trains of gears indicated at 17, with a pair of shafts 18 located one on either side of it, these shafts being suitably journaled in the side bars 11. Upon each of these shafts 18 is a pair of eccentrics 20 which are connected by rods 21 with the legs of the toy, the front legs being indicated at 22 and the rear legs r V at lhese legs are mounted on the side bars 1.1 m manner to have both a swinging motion and an up and down reciprocatory motion. For this purpose the legs are formed *ith short slots 25 extending longitu 'nally thereof into which project pins 26 lined in the side bars 11.

Supported rotatably by supplementary frame members 28 are cams 29 having cam grooves 30 in their radial faces into which project pins 31 fixed in the upper ends of the legs, which latter extend for a slight distance above the slots 25. Fixed co-a-iiially to these 0 ms 29 are gears 32 meshing with gears of lilre size on the shaft 18 on which the eccentrics 20 are fixed, it being apparent that the cams will make. turn for turn with the eccentrics. The main shaft. 15 may be squared at one end to receive a suitable winding lrey and may project into adj acence with a suitable aperture 1%) in the side of the body '10. The usual ratchet and pawl device may be applied to shaft 15, while a suitable escapement, which need not here be shown, may be also provided.

The head 40 of the horse is adapted also to be given. an up and down oscillatory movement and to this end it is fixed on an arm element 411 pivoted on the front crossbar 12 and having an extension 41 to which is connec ed one end of a rod 4-2 whose opposite end is connected with the strap of an eccentric l3 fixed on the front one of the shafts 18. The legs of the horse may be suitably shaped and are preferably provided with rubber hoofs a5. These hoofs may have crosspins L6 fixed therein at their toe portions, these pins being not however of sufficient length to interfere with the passing of the legs one by the other.

It is believed that the manner of operation of my improved toy will be readily understood from the above description. The spring 14: being Wound up, shaft 15 is caused to rotate, imparting rotation, through the trains of gears 17, to the shafts 18. By means of the eccentrics 20 and the rods 21 which connect them to the legs, the latter are caused to swing back and forth on their pivots represented by the pins 26, while the engagement of the cams 29 with the pins 31 in the upper ends of the legs imparts a generally vertical movement to the legs, causing sets.

opening being provided in the body through Which the supporting arm for the head pro- While I have illustrated and described a vpreferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed, and that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention :asdefined in the appended claims.

'Having thus describedmy invention what "I claim asnew and desire to protect by LettersfPaten-t of the 'United States is as follows l. A.mechanical toy comprising a body, a frame therein, motor mechanism on said frame, leg elements, connections mounting said legelement on said frame to permit oscillatory and longitudinal movement of said leg elements, shafts driven by said motor mechanism, eccentrics on said shafts, rods connecting to said leg elements, and cam members connected to said shafts to be driven turn for turn with. the latter and opera-tivcly engaged with said legs.

2. A mechanical toy comprising a body, a frame therein motor mechanism on said frame, leg elements formed with vertical slots, pins in said frame engaging in said slots, shafts driven by said motor mechanism, eccentrics on said shafts, rots connecting said eccentrics to said legs, and cam members rotated turn for turn with said shafts and operatively engaged. with said legs.

A mechanical toy comprising a body, a frame therein motor mechanism on said frame, leg elements formed with vertical slots, pins in said frame engaging in said slots, shafts driven by said motor mechanism, eccentrics on said shafts, rods connecting said eccentrics to said legs, and cam members rotated turn for turn with said shafts and operatively engaged with said legs, said cam elements having annular grooves in their radial faces and said legs having pins engaging in said grooves.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JOHN L. SIKORA. 

